How to take an Easter break as a small business owner (and come back to a thriving business)

Can you believe the Easter break is coming up? Doesn’t it feel like the year just started?

With your workload kicking up a gear, wouldn’t it be nice to take some time off to relax over Easter?

It sounds good in theory. But we know that as a business owner, even if you’re closed for Easter, sometimes you never really close.

You feel pressure – internal or external – to stay on call in case of an emergency. Even if your business shuts down, you might find yourself glued to your emails or catching up on work that could wait until the other side of the break.

We get it. It’s hard to take a step back. But your business could be better off if you do.

Several studies – including this one by the Harvard Business Review – found that employees who take regular holidays are more productive than those that don’t.

And the reasons are clear: Taking a break from work has a profoundly positive effect on one’s physical and mental health. Well-rested employees are in the right state to excel in their work. Burnt-out employees who don’t take breaks aren’t. Business owners are no different.

Easter’s the perfect time to take the break you deserve. Return refreshed from an Easter holiday, and you’ll be in the right frame of mind to lead your business through the colder months.

Here are some tips to help your business prepare for the Easter break (or any other time you want to get away).

Three tips to keep your business running while you take a break

1. Make your business mobile-friendly

You rely on mobile to keep in touch with your business when you’re out of the office.

And robust mobile connectivity offers business owners flexibility in how – and when – they connect to their business. 

Our business phone systems come with convenient Softphone capability. With a softphone, you can make and receive calls on your business landline from any device that connects to the internet. Have a spare moment while your family gets ready for your day trip? With a softphone, you can quickly call the office and check how things are going from your laptop or smartphone. 

All our business phone systems come with the option of adding a softphone. Check out our voice plan builder if you’d like to build a custom phone solution for your business.

But what about your internet? If you’re away from home, relying on public Wi-Fi to get the job done isn’t ideal – and that’s if there’s Wi-Fi. Our mobile broadband lets you access reliable 4G internet on the go. Powered by the Optus network and servicing 98.5% of the Australian population, mobile broadband gives you a reliable, dependable connection. Check our mobile broadband plans here.

And if you’re available on mobile, business calls can disturb the peace of a break. That’s where business mobile plans can help. A business mobile ensures work and personal conversations stay separate. That way, you can switch your business availability on and off as you please. Check out our range of business mobile SIM-only plans here.

2. Have your communications ready

Business owners often care too much about their clients to switch off during a break.

You could be sitting by a campfire, on a beach, or lounging at home with your family – if a client calls, you answer. At the very least, you think about answering, and that adds stress where there shouldn’t be any. 

There are better ways to spend a holiday than being on call for your business. And there are more effective ways to run a business too.

So when planning to take time off, make sure your clients know well in advance. That way, your clients can plan around your availability. They’ll either hit you up before the break if it’s urgent or wait until you’re back on deck – recharged and ready to help.

So, ensure your clients and other external stakeholders know your movements over the break. If your office is shutting down, clearly communicate the shutdown dates. If your office stays open with a skeleton staff, make sure your clients know to contact a team member who is working should they need anything.

Make sure you communicate your movements on all channels: Your website, social media profiles, and via email. If you’ve got important clients used to contacting you directly, it’s worth letting them know personally.

If you’re looking to take some extra time on either side of Easter to have a break, you should also nominate someone to take care of your work while you’re away.

3. Use technology to stay connected

As a business owner, completely disconnecting from your business can be near-impossible. But we’ve got the technology to make the occasional business pulse check easier – so you can keep your holiday the priority.

Technology has changed the game for businesses. Thanks to the internet, you always have a connection to your business. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the office or on the other side of the world. That’s why utilising technology is invaluable for business owners who want to stay connected while away.

One crucial tool is setting up remote access to your work computer. This way, as long as you have a device that connects to the internet, you can log in and access everything on your work computer. It means wherever you are, you can access files and software you use at work without bringing work with you.

But what about when you want to collaborate with your team? In particular, the team members tasked with your work while you’re away. If you wish to review their work or provide guidance quickly, cloud-based apps help you do that. While Google Workspace and Microsoft Suite are excellent options to serve this purpose, if your business has more complex cloud storage requirements, we can help. Aussie Broadband’s managed cloud services let your business leverage the power of the cloud – enabling seamless collaboration within your business.

With the right technology by your side, your business has every chance of thriving without you. Things might work so well that you’ll consider going away more often!

Are you looking for better connectivity in your business? Our team of Australian-based business telco consultants are here to help. We understand how the internet, phone and mobile solutions can improve businesses. And we know that no two businesses are the same, so neither should their solution.

We pride ourselves on getting to know your business and giving you tailored, practical advice. And finally, we’ll get your business a solution that works for you, so you can do more of what you want – whether running your business or taking your break while your business runs without you.

To learn more or how we can help your business, call the team on 1300 480 905.